SOS Meeting Notes – July 28, 2015

Meeting Notes: July 28, 2015

GRACE ROOTS Pathways to Wellness

Nancy Yonally/Marilane Jorgenson/Dr. Felica Cohen

Grace Roots is well on its way and is meeting weekly to make this a reality! Grace roots is also on its way to becoming its own nonprofit organization and looks to be starting some treatment through a partnership with Options.

Nutrition is part of the treatment process and Grace Roots is organizing a nutrition fair on Saturday September 19TH!

If your organization would like to schedule a private showing of our Awareness Video, don’t hesitate to call: GRACE ROOTS (541) 218-2059

Presentation by the Lottery Local Control Committee

Josephine County would likely receive over $5 million per year from this initiative (WITHOUT RAISING TAXES!) and it could be used for our County’s greatest needs…we just need to get enough signatures to place it on the ballot but WE NEED YOUR HELP both in gathering signatures and finding financial donations to assist with the signature gathering campaign!

We’re gathering signatures at various County fairs this summer and we could use your help! But where we really need your help is in fundraising…almost all statewide signature campaigns have to do direct mail and/or paid signature gathering to gather well over 100,000 signatures and we’ll have to do this as well to supplement other efforts. It will take some funds but it’s worth it for our County and others to have local control over many millions of lottery profits per year. PLEASE contact Cliff if you know someone that can help financially so we can talk to them or do a presentation. The easiest way to donate directly is on the website

SOS VIDEOS

This piece will be used for seeking partnerships, grants, and general SOS education and awareness activities. We will also use this as a showcase piece to try and attract partnerships to do additional video work and perhaps a full documentary. Please share this video on your social media pages – the more eyes we have on our crisis and the more awareness, the easier it will be to come together and achieve our mission: “A citizen-voiced plan to provide for a secure, stable and sustainable Josephine County.”

We have located a foundation that provides grants for documentaries such as our plan. The requirements for the grant meet our documentary goal very well and we will be applying for this grant by the end of August. This foundation usually provides grants in the range of $50,000 to $200,000 and our subject matter meets the grantor’s requirements very well.

City of Grants Pass – Sales Tax Proposal

The Grants Pass City Council shall be placing a Criminal Justice Sales Tax proposal on the ballot for this November that would be for Grants Pass voters and just for the City. However, at the same time as it could eliminate the City’s Public Safety property tax levy of $1.79 and eliminate the new Jail Services Utility Fee, it could also become a funding solution for about $3 million per year towards the Criminal Justice System. Proposals under consideration would provide for enough funds to replace the GP Public Safety Levy, provide up to $1.4 million per year for jail services, provide $1.4 million per year to reopen and operate the Juvenile Justice Shelter and Detention facility, and supplement criminal prosecution services for about $250,000 per year. While these are all services traditionally funded by the County (everyone in the City and County pay the same property tax rates) and shared by all, Grants Pass Police rely heavily on these services and have been without the proper level of these services for the last three years.

Grants Pass Public Safety can’t continue to operate with a criminal justice system that is crumbling and the City Council is putting this proposal forward for City voters’ consideration. The rate will be 2.00% and this looks to be a great proposal for the portion of the criminal justice system in Grants Pass. We still have more work to do for law enforcement outside Grants Pass as this proposal is for City Public Safety and criminal justice services that serve the City. This proposal looks a win / win for Grants Pass residents as if approved by vote it will actually boost funding to the criminal justice system while lowering taxes/fees for most property owners in GP (both businesses and residents).